After playing around for a few days, Yu Huishui suddenly knocked over a book at night and deeply felt that he had been neglecting his studies. Those books were still in their brand-new state, just bought from the bookstore, and hadn’t even been opened. Turning back to look at Zang Liujiang, who was happily making the bed, Yu Huishui realized that this beauty was not only a distraction from national affairs but also from his studies.
Zang Liujiang was delighted with the newly acquired soft velvet quilt, thinking it would be comfortable to sleep with his wife wrapped in it. But then he heard a clattering sound at the door, turned his head, and saw his wife putting on a jacket, holding a book, and wobbling out the door.
“Wife, where are you going?” Zang Liujiang called out from the bed, but Yu Huishui ran even faster. Damn it, could it be true what the storytellers say, that there’s a fox spirit hidden in every scholar’s study, luring them out every day?
Zang Liujiang leaped up, not even bothering to put on thicker clothes, and chased after Yu Huishui to see who was in the study. In the end, Zang Liujiang watched as Yu Huishui recited books all night, listening to phrases like “zhi hu zhe ye” and “xing zhi de ye,” which made his head spin. He recognized every word, but why couldn’t he understand them when they were put together?
After listening to Yu Huishui recite two essays, Zang Liujiang, determined to accompany his love, tilted his head and fell asleep, dreaming of meeting Duke Zhou. The next day, he woke up with a stiff neck and had to return to bed to sleep. For three consecutive days, Yu Huishui practically lived in the study, and Zang Liujiang came and went, bringing food, only to find that Yu Huishui ate even less while reading.
Rumors spread in the stronghold that the leader had been sleeping separately from his new wife for three days and nights, suggesting a marital conflict. “She won’t last long. Once the leader gets tired, he’ll change to someone else,” said a neighbor auntie while picking dried vegetables at Liu Cuicui’s house, winking and making faces. “Men are all like that, always preferring the new over the old.”
“Stop gossiping!” Liu Cuicui came in with a basin of water, her eyebrows raised in a fierce expression. “The leader isn’t like that! You’re really mean with your words!” “Cuicui!” Cuicui’s grandmother, knowing her granddaughter’s temper, quickly stopped her from saying more: “Go, go find your Wang family sister. They’re mending clothes for the stronghold, go help them.”
Liu Cuicui rolled her eyes at the sneaky-looking auntie, tossed her braid, and stepped out. Behind her, the auntie continued to chatter, “Cuicui’s temper is too big, it’ll be hard to find a husband in the future…” Husband, husband, all they talk about is husbands!
The more Cuicui thought about it, the angrier she got. She stormed into the Wang family’s house, only to find not just her Wang family sister, but a group of young girls from the stronghold, all around the same age, chattering and sewing various clothes. Many men in the stronghold were without families, good at physical labor but terrible at mending clothes. It was Cuicui and a few girls’ idea to take money to mend clothes for those who couldn’t sew. As more clothes came in, they sought more help, and soon, there were more clothes and more people.
“Cuicui sister!” The Wang family sister saw her and quickly made room: “Come here, we’re just chatting.” “What are you talking about?” Cuicui, feeling a bit better, picked up a needle and thread and started mending clothes. “We’re talking about the leader’s new wife.” The Wang family girl winked at her: “We haven’t seen her, only you have. What’s she like?”
“What else could she be like?” Cuicui mumbled, quickly mending the clothes in her hands: “Two eyes, one nose, just a person.” Laughter erupted around her, as most of them knew Cuicui’s feelings. “I say, she’s not as good as Cuicui, the leader still treasures her.” “Exactly, that big study over there, the leader cleaned it out just for her to use.” “Really? I heard the leader killed two wolves to make clothes for her.” “Wow… that’s really nice…”
The room was filled with exclamations, but Cuicui didn’t respond, feeling a bit sour inside. “But I heard people in the stronghold say the leader and his new wife had a falling out, haven’t slept in the same room for days.” “Why are you talking about this too?” Cuicui, having just heard this from the neighbor auntie, was annoyed, her hand gripping the sewing needle turning white.
“We really want to know why, but we don’t dare ask the leader…” The Wang family sister, scratching her head in curiosity, clapped her hands and cozied up to Cuicui. “Cuicui, why don’t you talk to the leader’s wife, see if she can come help us sew, so we can find out more?” “What are you talking about?” Cuicui found it absurd, about to refuse, but saw the eager eyes of the girls around her.
“Yeah, Cuicui, you’ve delivered food several times, you must have seen the leader’s wife.” “I remember, on the wedding day, you helped change the wedding dress, she must remember you!” Cuicui didn’t want to go, stood up abruptly, but was pulled back by the girls, pleading and laughing, making her ears buzz.
“Alright, alright!” Unable to take it anymore, Cuicui shouted, silencing the room. She pulled the clothes from the girls’ hands, awkwardly stood up: “I’ll go ask, but if she doesn’t come, don’t blame me.” Amidst the cheers of the girls, Liu Cuicui left the room.
Liu Cuicui didn’t have much hope, prepared to be flatly refused. She and the lady were only nodding acquaintances, no reason for her to mingle with them. After all, she should still have the pride of a lady from a big family. But unexpectedly, when she knocked on the door and explained the reason, Yu Huishui, who was just thinking of combining work and rest, nodded and agreed.
“What’s wrong?” Yu Huishui looked at the stunned girl in front of him, puzzled. She had just said she was too busy and wanted him to help sew clothes, but now she stood there motionless. “But I need to go back and change clothes first.” Yu Huishui suddenly became serious. It wasn’t that he was putting on airs, but he remembered how Qin Xiaoyuan had seen through him with just a few words last time. To be safe this time, Yu Huishui thought he should use some tricks.
A moment later, Yu Huishui, dressed in a skirt, followed Cuicui to the Wang family’s door. But as soon as the door opened, Yu Huishui was startled. The room was packed with expectant girls. Cuicui had only said, “It’s lively to sew together,” not “It’s lively with many girls sewing together.”
Seeing Cuicui really brought the leader’s wife, the room erupted in short exclamations, the girls’ eyes shining, looking at Cuicui with admiration. Yu Huishui turned to run, but before he could lift his foot, he was blocked by a few quick-moving girls at the door. “Since you’re here, why not come in and sit?” “Oh, look at this new outfit, it’s so pretty!” “It’s cold outside, quick, Cuicui, close the door.”
Yu Huishui, surrounded by the girls, didn’t dare move recklessly, and was pushed forward, a few steps later, he was pressed onto the edge of the kang. With a needle and thread stuffed into his hand, Yu Huishui quickly lowered his head to mend clothes, wanting to finish a couple of pieces and leave. But things didn’t go as planned, the girls wouldn’t let him go easily.
“Sister.” The Wang family sister, the most talkative, seeing no one else speaking, was the first to ask Yu Huishui: “Where are you from? How did you end up here?” Yu Huishui groaned inwardly, his hands trembling with the needle, hesitating before speaking: “I’m from the Central Plains, passing through… something happened, so I stayed.”
A girl was about to laugh at Yu Huishui’s slightly rough voice, but was glared back by Cuicui. She had invited him to help, couldn’t let him be laughed at, right? “Something happened?” The Wang family sister, even more curious, squeezed over to sit next to Yu Huishui, scaring him into scooting back, falling off the kang.
Laughter erupted around, even Cuicui couldn’t help but chuckle, reaching out to help Yu Huishui up. Naturally, Yu Huishui wouldn’t take a girl’s hand, stubbornly got up himself, and moved back to sit on the edge of the kang. “Don’t call me sister, just call me Huishui.” Yu Huishui saw their restless hearts, clearly not here for sewing, and immediately guessed Cuicui’s intention for calling him over.
Such questioning was inevitable, and Yu Huishui had already prepared. The Wang family sister was happy to call him more intimately, immediately changing her address: “Then Huishui sister, how did you and the leader meet?” Still being called sister, Yu Huishui had no choice but to bring out the old story, about encountering wild wolves, a hero saving a beauty, and pledging himself, all things young girls loved to hear.
“So thrilling… Then…” A girl in the group, boldly spoke up: “Huishui sister, don’t quarrel with the leader, lately the leader seems worried…” “Quarrel?” Yu Huishui paused his sewing, recalling Zang Liujiang’s demeanor these past few days, he did seem a bit unhappy. “Yes, yes.” “The leader is so nice.” The girls chattered, the Wang family sister sneaking a glance at Cuicui, reaching out to pull her, telling her not to overthink.
Yu Huishui felt a headache, unable to reveal the truth about preparing for the imperial exam, he had to find another way to deflect. “No, we’re not quarreling, we’re fine.” “Fine?” “How fine, tell us.” “So embarrassing, I heard from auntie…” Yu Huishui really couldn’t describe how fine they were to a group of girls, for the first time hoping Zang Liujiang would come and take him away.
Just as he was thinking, there was a knock at the door, the girls immediately quieted down, the girl closest to the door gently opened it, revealing a group of men. “Oh, so many people.” The leading man, a bit slick, rudely looked past the girl at the door into the room, the girls instantly wilted, shrinking back, not daring to speak.
“Is there something you need?” Cuicui, with a fiery temper, stood in the doorway, glaring at the man. “Came to pick up clothes, Cuicui sister.” “No need to pick up clothes, we’ll find someone to deliver them, you all leave!” The man seemed to be looking for Cuicui, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her, ignoring the eviction, even trying to reach for Cuicui’s shoulder.
Cuicui, unable to dodge, closed her eyes in fear, ready to push him away, but a hand suddenly reached out from behind, shoving the leading bandit away. “Didn’t you hear her tell you to leave?” When Cuicui opened her eyes again, Yu Huishui was already standing in front of her.